Memorial of Saints
Basil and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church

(I John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28)

The saints celebrated today, Basil and Gregory, worked in
a time of great theological controversy.
Although the Council of Nicea proclaimed Christ as Son of God and
coeternal with the Father, many Christians believed that the proposition
contradicted monotheism. Even some of
those who accepted the Nicene Creed had distorted ideas about how Jesus was
both God and human. There was also the
question of how the Holy Spirit related to the Father and the Son. These questions were similar to the ones
asked in today’s readings.

It is not certain what John, the presbyter, has in mind
when he condemns those who deny the Son.
But it likely has something to do with Jesus’ divinity. Likewise, the gospel reading seems to be
directed toward a Christological question: was John the Baptist or Jesus the
Messiah of Israel? The answers given to
these inquiries, implied in each reading, are formative as we begin another
year, another milestone in history.

Many look to Jesus as only a great teacher whose wisdom
deserves consideration. We, however, profess
him to be the final word of a loving God.
Through his death and resurrection his Father imparts to us his Spirit. This gift leads us outside the narrow
confines of self-interest into the wonders of God’s love. Here we find the fullness of life that overcomes
even death. Each day of this new year we
look forward to delving more deeply into this mystery.

A painting of the Holy Family in Egypt shows Mary lying with
Jesus in her bosom on the paw of a sphinx.
Meanwhile Joseph reclines away from the two to guard the approach to their
resting place. In this way the artist depicts
the traditional belief that the couple never shared intimate relations.

Scripture asserts that Mary conceived of Jesus as a virgin
and never says that she had sexual relations.
St. Jerome, the preeminent Biblical scholar of the Patristic era, believed
that Joseph also was a virgin. The two –
Mary and Joseph – obviously were of the same mind and heart, but they did not
share the same bed.

Mary and Joseph model many virtues that are necessary for us
as citizens of both earthly and heavenly society. Compassion, courage, and charity name but a
few. To recognize them also as exemplars
of sexual self-restraint is also constructive in our age of over-stimulation.

A biblical scholar once ignited a holy man’s ire by calling
John’s letters, “New Testament baby-talk.”
The scholar meant that John’s letters possess simplicity and directness as
if they were written for children. We
see this in today’s first reading.
“Whoever loves his brother remains in the light...,” John writes,
“Whoever hates his brother remains in darkness...”

John does not have enemy-love in mind here as if he were
challenging Arab Christians to love soldiers.
Nor does he mean exactly that Christians have affection for blood
brothers and sisters. He is simply reiterating
Jesus’ commandment to his community of disciples that they love one
another. It may sound easy, but hard
feelings can sprout like weeds in a cow pasture when humans get together. Disputes have originated among Guadalupanas and
among Knights of Columbus as if these associations were different bands of
pirates searching for the same treasure.
Most everyone feels frustration, envy, and even enmity with his or her
associates at times. John is saying that
we must let go of these troublesome sentiments and treat one another with
respect.

John would be oversimplifying if he meant that we may limit
our love to those with whom we go to church. Certainly such love for brothers and sisters
in the religious or parish community teaches toleration, care, and compassion
so that we in turn may love even those who hate us.

In Europe you might find
your car’s tires without any air today.
Or perhaps there will be three pizzas which you didn’t order, delivered
to your door. The Feast of the Holy
Innocents is Europe’s equivalent to the
American April Fools Day. It is a time
to play practical jokes on good-natured people.

Some may be shocked by the European frivolity on a day that memorializes
the slaughter of children. Perhaps Holy
Innocents Day jokesters just take to heart the belief that the infants have
gone to God. “So why not rejoice?” they
might ask. Somehow, however, that is
just too casual an attitude. It fails to
consider the grotesque injustice of the blood of children. It mocks, for example, the outrage at a
public policy which permits abortion on demand.
It begs the question, “Why be born at all?”

Catholics educated before Vatican II easily recite the
answer to this last question. We live “to
know, love, and serve God in this world and to be happy with him in the next.” The tragedy of children dying, then, is the
irreversible equivalent of their minds being wasted. Dead children cannot come to know God very
well. Yes, they should receive the
beatific vision. And there might be something marvelous about seeing God
through children’s eyes. But just as the
art connoisseur will appreciate aspects of a Rubens painting that completely
escape the uncultured so growing in wisdom should make us more enthralled at
God’s glory. It is good to grow old if
we accordingly grow in wisdom.
Reciprocally, it is a tragedy when we die young.

Once a disillusioned pilgrim returned from the Holy Land lamenting
the conditions he encountered. Not only was
there strife between Jews and Arabs, but hawkers constantly besieged him with souvenir
trinkets. Even in Bethlehem, where Jesus
was born on a serene night, he found conflict.
The man marveled at how times had changed since the serene night when the
animals crowded around the infant Jesus to give him warmth. However, he only had to read the Scriptures
closely to realize that trouble is nothing new to the area.

Although the Gospel of Luke depicts a tranquil setting for
Jesus’ birth, there is much evidence of conflict in New Testament times. In John’s gospel Jesus conducts a running
debate with the Jews who try to kill him.
The Letters of John report a feud between the community of the beloved
disciple and a secessionist group who apparently believed that morals do not
matter. Of course, there is the
acrimonious debate between Jesus and the Pharisees which is believed to reflect
trouble between the first Christians and their Jewish countrymen.

In spite of all this conflict, the writer of the First
Letter of John offers a testimony of hope.
Much more than a dream or vision, his testimony involves a living human
being whose countenance he saw, whose voice he heard, and whose body he touched. We do not look to this one so much for deliverance
from the pressures of life. Rather we count
on him for the courage to address our problems with justice and justice.

“Is it an accident…,” St. Thomas Becket asks in his
Christmas sermon according to playwright T.S. Eliot, “that the day of the first
martyr follows immediately the day of the Birth of Christ?” Not at all, he goes on to say. Martyrdom is the design of God to draw humans
back to the love which the birth of Christ reveals. In other words, the Church proposes today’s
Feast of St. Stephen as a reminder that Christ was born to die out of love for
the world.

Although many households take down their Christmas lights
today and stores haul out Valentine decorations, the Church does not intend
that her members go back to life as usual.
Rather, she wants them to realize that they are being called deeper into
the mystery of holiness which does not shun the world but seeks to sanctify
it.

Celebrating what is good and expressing sorrow when the good
is thwarted by evil, we Christians show others of God’s care for all. Christmas festivities will continue until the
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, but we should temper them by understanding how
material substances are readily corruptible while virtue lasts forever.

In Luke’s gospel John the Baptist clearly takes the place of
Elijah, the prophet of fire. At one point, John warns the people that unless
they reform, they will be cut down like trees and burned. In this way John goes before the Lord, as his
father Zechariah proclaims in his song of jubilation at his naming, “to prepare
his ways.”

Jesus will not take up John’s message of the primacy of divine
wrath. Rather, his preaching will center
on God as the human’s benefactor.
Although Jesus will not shrink from mentioning God’s power to cast
sinners into hell, he will stress God’s tender mercy. God, he will say, has counted the number of
hairs on each faithful person’s head to insure her or his total salvation.

Since love can be looked upon as a kind of fire, we might contrast
John’s theme with Jesus’ using the same image.
Fire can destroy dispassionately as well as purify with all
compassion. John, following Elijah, will
use the threat if not the force of a blazing fire to warn us of the danger that
dissolute living incurs. In contrast God’s
love, incarnate in Jesus, burns like a surgeon’s laser beam not harming but
healing us.

Looking at the first reading and the gospel today, we may
feel hard-pressed to find a relationship.
“What does the account of Hannah’s delivering her son into the Lord’s service
have in common with Mary’s praise of the Lord?” we might ask. The answer is hidden. If we refer to the first chapter of the First
Book of Samuel we will find that Hannah next statement after dedicating her son
to the Lord resembles Mary’s praise of God in the gospel. Like Mary, Hannah tells of the mighty being
humbled, the well-fed searching for bread, and the poor being lifted up.

Nevertheless, Mary does more in her prayer of praise then
paraphrase the Old Testament. More significantly,
she interprets the preaching of her son which we have heard throughout this
past year. In Luke’s gospel Jesus
reiterates continually the message of the wealthy being humbled and the poor
being elevated, oppressors being silenced while the suffering are relieved. Mary says something similar but pertinent to
her situation. God has shown favor to
her, His lowly servant, by making her the bearer of His son. Furthermore, he has rescued Israel by sending
His Son as the nation’s savior.

Mary is doing the work of a preacher who brings to life
God’s word in present circumstances. It
is not enough for a homilist to retell the gospel; he or she must apply it to
contemporary times if listeners are to find hope in meeting present
challenges. Similarly we should share with
others how we have found Christ’s message resonating in our lives. For example, Jesus’ many blessings of the
poor should move us to speak of how our encounters with them have been
rewarding.

Often the Virgin Mary is portrayed as carrying Jesus in
her womb. In the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
for example, the black belt around the Virgin’s waist signals her pregnancy. Such images indicate not only that Mary is
the mother of Jesus but also that she is his apostle bringing him to
others. Today’s gospel conveys this
double meaning.

Acting on God’s word, Mary visits her kinswoman Elizabeth
in the hill country. Having arrived, the
child within her womb causes the more developed child in Elizabeth to
stir. Elizabeth, guided by the Holy
Spirit, names what is taking place. She praises
Mary first for being the mother of God and then for believing in the unlikely
message of the angel. Mary will explain
what Jesus’ birth will mean to the world in tomorrow’s gospel passage.

We do well to emphasize that Mary’s significance is more
than she is the mother of Jesus as important as that role is. She is also his first and most perfect
disciple. She listens to and accepts the
word of God. She acts on it as she visits
Elizabeth. Finally, she interprets its
meaning for others. The best way we can
venerate Mary is by imitating her example.

In a movie a few years back a teenage girl, growing up
dirt poor in the Ozarks, sacrifices the joy of adolescence to hold her family
together. Her father puts their house up
as bond when he is arrested. Then he turns up missing. The young girl has to
find out what has happened to him if her mother and brothers will have a place
to live. She rises to the task. We should
see Mary similarly challenged in today’s gospel.

When the angel Gabriel greets her with the words, “’Hail,
full of grace,’” Mary realizes that a crisis is at hand. Attentive to the angel’s proposition that she
will mother the Son of God, Mary asks how it is possible for a virgin. She accepts the angel’s explanation and gives
assent: “’May it be done to me according to your word.’” She shows herself to
be a worthy disciple by first reflecting on the word of God and then doing it.

Mary’s assent has echoed throughout history. We too are faced with the Word of God – Jesus
himself. We respond as his disciples
when we carefully consider what he says and act upon it. In a world that regularly conflicts with
Jesus’ values and mores, living the commitment is often difficult. Gratefully, we too like Mary have been graced
to carry it out.

Catholics are often amazed when the differences among the
gospel accounts of Jesus’ life are reviewed.
The differences may be seen in the first chapter of each gospel. Mark begins with John preaching in the
desert. Both Matthew and Luke treat Jesus’
birth, but Matthew will focus on Joseph’s role and Matthew on Mary’s. John goes back to the beginning of creation
when the Word co-existed with God, the Father.

With all the differences, however, there are very
impressive similarities among the gospels.
Mark, Luke, and John tell of John the Baptist in their initial
chapters. Matthew defers mention of the
Baptist until he finishes the story of Jesus’ birth and infancy. But Matthew begins his story of Jesus’ birth
with the patriarch Abraham, who is much like Zachariah with whom Luke introduces
his gospel. Both Abraham and Zachariah are
faithful; both long to have a child; and both have their prayers heard by an
indulgent God.

We need not be dismayed by the differences encountered in
the gospel narratives. The gospels
essentially agree, and they universally call forth our faith in Jesus as
Lord. They concur that he is the God who
became human so that we might share his divine happiness. Once again God indulges His children by
granting our deepest longing.

A lovely poem by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore
treats the somber theme of death. It
says that death is not what is popularly thought -- the “extinguishing (of) the
light.” Rather, it consoles those who
grieve that death is “putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” The same interplay of two kinds of light
governs the Christian perspective of the relationship between John the Baptist
and Jesus.

In today’s gospel passage Jesus calls John “a burning and
shining lamp.” He cannot provide
definitive instruction on how to live but points the way to Jesus. In the beginning of the Gospel of John Jesus
is described as “the true light that enlightens everyone who comes into the
world.” He teaches those who would
listen the ways of God and provides the necessary assistance to fulfill his directives.

As we in the Northern Hemisphere experience the minimum
of sunlight during late December, we do well to reflect on Jesus as a light
more radiant than that of any star. He
insures us a worthy life now and eternal life in a realm beyond our dreams.

Background checks are almost as much a part of the
employment process as filling out an application. Employers investigate not only where an
applicant comes from but her work and educational experiences as well. They want
to be as sure as possible that the person will work well in a new
environment. Fortunately, God does not require
a background check to enter his kingdom as both readings today testify.

The reading from Isaiah tells the abandoned woman that
she will have a new husband – God Himself. He will make her very happy with
many children. She is the people of
Israel who were figuratively widowed when the elite of Jerusalem went into
exile. Now they may leave in peace for
God is there to protect them. Jesus says
something similar in the gospel. He
tells the crowds that sinners who heeded John’s call to repentance will be accepted
into the Kingdom of God. However, those –
like the Pharisees – who ignored the call by refusing to acknowledge their sins
much less to repent of them will remain without God’s reward.

People talk of the need to forgive oneself of sin. They probably mean allowing oneself to experience
the forgiveness of God. Where we are
often either too demanding or too lax in considering our behavior, God is
always equitable. He is ever ready to
accept us back into His fold as long as we truly repent of our sins.

There is a famous story about King Richard, the Lion-heart, and Saladin, the Muslim sultan, who met during the Third
Crusade.In the peaceful encounter Richard
attempted to show the capability of his sword by cutting through a steel bar.
Richard brought the sword down on the bar which broke in two. But the sultan was not overly impressed.He told Richard that his strength, not the sword’s
sharpness, caused the bar to split.Then
Saladin took out his scimitar, threw a silk scarf in the air and let it fall on
the sword’s blade.As it did, the scarf
tore in two.The scimitar proved to be
the keener sword.The story illustrates
the point Jesus makes in today’s gospel.

John the Baptist appears disillusioned by Jesus.He thought that Jesus would be the
long-awaited Messiah but has misgivings when Jesus does not preach fire much
less punish wrong-doers.Rather he eats
with sinners while calling them to conversion.Jesus offers evidence of his being Messiah that he consistently assists
the needy.Doing so, Jesus fulfills
Isaiah’s prophecy in today’s first reading that the Lord will create
well-being.

We are often so fascinated by power that we tend to think
of it as God’s chief characteristic.It
is not. Love characterizes God in both testaments of Scripture.God’s love translates into care for His
people which is seen especially in the ministry of Jesus.

In prison two men are serving multi-year sentences. They have been there awhile and will not
leave soon. Yet they do not seem
anxious. When asked about how they are
doing, they respond that since they have accepted their situations, they are at
peace. Today’s readings have people like
these men in mind.

The reading from Zephaniah critiques city dwellers who
sit back in comfort. These are the
people who enjoy a degree of prosperity and participate in religious
services. But their hearts are not
converted. They do not ask themselves how they might have done wrong and
therefore do not repent. Surely their
lives will end in disaster. In the
gospel Jesus speaks of two brothers. One
does wrong, recognizes his fault, and corrects it. The other brother is blind to having done wrong
when he makes a promise that he does not keep.
His life too will end in misery.

The second brother may be contrasted to St. Lucy whose
feast day is today. He was blind to what
is really import but could see. She kept
her sight on Christ even though she is said to have been blinded in the course
of her martyrdom.

All life is a journey.Even if we never leave home, we journey through time.If we do not stray, we come closer to the goal
which is God.Jesus accompanies us on
our way.He is like the sun around which
the earth revolves as it moves through space.He is near to help us.

Today’s gospel pictures Mary on a journey.She goes to assist her cousin Elizabeth as
the latter is heavy with child in her old age.Mary, of course, is with child herself.She carries within her Jesus who sent her forth.As with most mothers, her child has become
the critical focus of Mary’s life.Bearing
him in both body and soul, she freely gives of herself to others for the sake
of the child.

Today we celebrate a singularly important manifestation
of Mary.Our Lady of Guadalupe, the rose
of Tepeyac, shows Mary pregnant with Jesus.She is completing her journey to the new world – America.She comes as a missionary to bring Jesus to
the native people there.But she dresses
as a native princess and speaks in a native tongue.She tells of her son symbolized by the church
that she requests to be built in the native territory.She indicates to the native whom she
encounters that her son is to be as a bridge connecting European and Native
American cultures.He will bring about a
new race born of the creativity of the former and endurance of the latter.

The new race has recently arrived in this land with great
numbers.Its women and men bring Jesus
as they replenish the Church here.Their
devotion to God, their care for others, their desire to submit to the Word –
all make them welcome.

There is an old story about something wonderful having happened
in Bethlehem.The marvelous event was
the price of steel increasing two cents a pound.The Bethlehem referred to in this story is not
the place where Jesus was born, but Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, an old steel
town.The story demonstrates Jesus’ lesson
in today’s gospel.

Like the citizens of Bethlehem, the “generation” which
Jesus speaks of is oblivious to the presence of salvation among them.People of the generation have no more
appreciation of the holiness to which the prophets call them than bratty children
taunting one another.They refuse to be
moved either by ascetics like John or by more personable preachers like Jesus.

Today the Church remembers St. Juan Diego, the Mexican native
who served the Virgen of Guadalupe.He
was anything but oblivious to Jesus.A
fervent convert to Christianity, he only wanted to the Lord’s will as he
encountered the Blessed Mother.He
learned from her that God has plans for His people that sometimes differ from those
we judge correct.We must discern in
prayer and consultation what God is asking of us and then pursue it with all
our hearts.

Today’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians tells of
God’s plan to make us His people.It says
that we were chosen before the world was founded. But the drama of salvation
begins in the first reading. Our ancestors are seen alienating themselves from
God and one another.The same alienation
due to sin keeps us from being a united people under God today.

God’s plan has an unexpected agent.In the gospel passage Mary is a young virgin
whose nature has been uncorrupted by sin.She is actually asked whether she wants to participate in the drama of
salvation.Will she allow herself to be the
mother of God’s Son?It may arouse
suspicion of her virtue and even disgust from the self-exalted.But as right-minded as she is, how can she refuse
God’s request?Her acceptance of the
responsibility – “’May it be done to me according to your word’” -- leads to
the coming of Jesus and our eventual adoption into God’s family.

Today is given to contemplating this mystery.We should see Mary as not so different from
us.She is not hindered by selfishness,
but we can limit that disgrace by regularly denying ourselves in favor of others.More importantly, she is propelled by the
love of God.We too have a share in that
love through our Baptism.This is to say
that we, similar to Mary, might be agents of a united humanity under God’s care.

Mary, St. Anne, Jesus, and John

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About Me

Bilingual Roman Catholic priest of the Southern Dominican Province. The "homilettes" on this website are completely the work of Fr. Mele. They do not necessarily reflect the ideas of the Southern Dominican Province or of any other member of the Order of Preachers. Mail: St. Albert Priory, 3150 Vince Hagan, Irving, TX 75062.
Telephone: (972)438-1626x205.